NYC - Ticket queues at the Met
 

I'm visiting NYC in August and will be going to the Met. I've looked into pre-purchasing tickets online, but they don't offer "print at home". As I live in Australia I don't want to risk not receiving the ticket in the post before I depart for my trip. The suggested wait time for US postal tickets is 10 days and I have only 18 days before I leave, so I think it is too close to order postal tickets.

This leaves 2 options:
- purchase tickets at the Met and face any queues that may be there

- purchase the tickets on-line and choose the option to collect the ticket at the desk in the Met

Any advice from those who might be able to advise about possible queues with either option above. It will be a Friday afternoon.

It often takes a while to get through security, especially with bags/backpacks. And, the lines at the checkroom can be very, very long, both to drop off your things and then to collect them. But, I've never experienced long lines to purchase tickets.

I'm not positive, but I think you'd queue in the same lines to pick up tickets as purchase them when you arrive. There's more than one place once inside to purchase your tickets.

I'd buy them now and pick them up at the Met. As the previous poster mentioned there generally isn't a big line at the ticket window.

Assuming you mean the Metropolitan MUSEUM of Art (not the Metropolitan Opera--"Met" commonly refers to both), I've never seen a huge line on a Friday afternoon (or anytime, really). I go to the museum several times a month
There are several ticket booth locations in the museum, and they move quickly. Absolutely no need to buy tickets in advance

I've never seen a ticket line that took more than about 3 minutes at the Met. It's true if you check something that can take a while - but there's nothing you can do about that in advance anyway. Typically the things in NYC that have long lines - and advance tickets make sense are:

Staute of Liberty and ferry to it

Empire State Building (but Top of the Rock is better IMHO)

TKTS half-price show tickets booth (but you can go to broadwaybox.com and get disount coupons to order advance tickets at a lower price)

Hi all, thanks for the replies. Sounds like ticket queues are not an issue. From what I've read, the coat/bag checkroom can be avoided if I take a small bag.

Nytraveler, we have pre-purchased tickets for the SOL pedestal and ferry, ESB, TOTR, Tenement Museum and Greenwich Village food tour for our 7 day trip.

The only museum in all of NYC where lines have been an issue is MOMA (when it first reopened after the renovation and expansion), not the Metropolitan Museum of Art. And now, they aren't really a problem anymore. I've never waited in line more than 10 minutes for a New York museum in all my years of living here. I have to agree with nytraveler that I've never stood in line there more than just a few minutes, even on a busy Sunday.

If you want to buy tickets for the Empire State Building or Statue of Liberty ferry in advance, that would be wise because those are two attractions that have huge waits. Though I really can't in good conscience recommend the all-too-commercialized Empire State Building attraction anymore. It's completely lost its magic for me. Go to Top of the Rock instead for better views and a better experience. And the hassle of security at the Statue is also a big downer. The Ellis Island Museum is a different story altogether. Well worth the line and the visit. Last time, I just stayed on the ferry and skipped the statue.

An additional risk in buying advance tickets for ESB or TOTR is weather; IMHO it would make sense to wait and buy them 24 to 48 hours in advance, at most.

Sounds like Speckles has already bought his/her tickets for the Empire State Building, Top of the Rock, Staute of Liberty, etc, so need need to discourage him/her! :)

Though the Empire State Building is certainly commercialized and involves waiting on lines, it's an iconic place, and I'm sure you'll have a great visit.

I'll have to disagree a little with Doug Stalings about waiting in line at MOMA. There are still lines there at times. Just last week, I was very happy to be a member and thusable to bypass a long line waiting to get in!

Yes, we've bought most of our tickets. We're pre-planners and want to waste as little time in lines as we can.

Pre-purchase also helps with managing costs while away. We will be in the US for 4 weeks and are trying to decrease the amount of committed expenditure we will have to pay while there. ie we have to pay most of the hotels while away which is about $5,000 dollars.